At the end of 2008, after just two months of fishing for big yellowfin tuna 500 to 1,000 miles south of San Diego, catching has been pretty good. As the New Year turns toward us, the cow count for tuna over 200 pounds stands at 210, with 10 of those fish being supercows, or yellowfin of over 300 pounds. The first load of cows this year came in with skipper Joe Crisci on the Qualifier 105, back on October 24.

The best tuna so far is the 381-pounder caught by Dennis Williams of Carlsbad with Randy Toussaint aboard the Royal Star just before Thanksgiving. It may be the new 130-pound line class record, and isn't likely to be beaten this season. Tuna are tough to predict, though, and maybe someone will pop that first 400-pounder on us at the docks before mid-June, when this round of big fish catching comes to an end.

It all brings the total on December 28, 2008 to 210 cows and 10 supercows. For comparison, last season's total was 373 cows, or tuna over 200 pounds, and 24 supercows. There were more 300-pounders last season than any since Bill Roecker started reporting for the San Diego Sportfishing Council in 1993.

Fishing Lunker Rainbows: At Diamond Valley Lake

This brand-new Standup Fishing with Bill Roecker DVD has big trout biting fast on metal lures and shad minnows, with smart tips from a sharp guide about how and where to find the lunkers. Hook 'em, fight 'em and let 'em go; there's no better trout fishing to be found in all of southern California!

Join Bill Roecker and guide Mark Franco in an incredible May morning of fast fishing for whopper rainbow trout up to seven pounds. The heavy redsides feed on dense schools of shad, where the minnows cruise The Insinuator and other hot spots at southern California's huge sparkling new jewel, Diamond Valley Reservoir, near Hemet. Fish aboard a comfortable pontoon boat. Walk around the rig with your fish pulling drag. These lunkers will bite lures on the downrigger and with lead-core line, but the best way to hook ???em is on the same bait they're chasing: shad. Live or dead, sinking these baits brings hard, fast strikes. When you hook a six-pound trout on one-pound line, you're in a fight that compares with fishing the salt!

Spend an evening during the winter off-season with this great new DVD from Standup Fishing with Bill Roecker! Match it up with our new 300-Pound Tuna video, and we'll send you a free 2009 Sportfishing Calendar. That's right! Buy any two videos before the February 1 and we'll throw in a free 2009 Sportfishing Calendar with Tidelines. It's the best fishing calendar you can get anywhere???ask a fisherman!